Condensing plant of steamships



March i931. J. SEM

coNDENsING PLANT of 'STEAMSHIPS ing arrangements.

Patented Mar. 10, 1931 f UNITED STATES' PATENT OFFICE yJ'AJLIIES SIM, CATHCART, GLASGOW, SCOTLAND, ASSIG-NOR TO G. & J. WEIR, LIMITED,

. OF GLASGOW, SCOTLAND CON DENSING PLANT OF STEAMSHIPS 'Application filed May 29, 1930, Serial No. 457,286, and in Great Britain June 12, 1929.

Manysteamships already providedwith propeiling machinery comprising reciprocating multiple-expansion engines and air pumps of the Edwards type are having their eiiiciency improved by being provided with exhaust steam turbines arranged to receive the steam discharged from the low-pressure cylinder. In order to beneit by this turbine adjunct, it is usually necessary to improve the condens- The condenser is therefore enlarged or re-arranged or replaced, and improvements introduced with regard to abstracting the air from it.

The present invention is not concerned with improvements in the condenser, but it is concerned with improvements for abstracting the air therefrom. It is usually desired to retain the EdwardsY air pump and, to enable this to be done, a vacuum-augmenter is introduced which withdraws the air from the condenser without the turbine and then, at some convenient timeit may be after the ship has left the harbour and got into its strid e-the vacuumaugmenter, and thereafter the turbine, is switched in. (A flexible clutch may be em- 30 ployed for this purpose).

Now, trouble is experienced by the air pump losing its water and becoming dry and thus failing to perform its required duty. This occurs after the vaciuun-augmenter has been started. The trouble is thought to be due to the pressure of discharge from the vacuum-augmenter which forces the water back along the delivery pipe from the air pump to the condenser.

The object of the present invention is to overcome this trouble.

The present invention is applied to an arrangement oi' condensing plant comprising a condenser, a reciprocating air pump, and an ejector vacuum-augmenter which discharges the air from the condenser and delivers it into the discharg-e pipe from the bottom of the condenser to the air pump. The invention will be dened in the annexed claims. An essential feature of the invention is a sealing upper portion of the sealing chamber.

chamber on the discharge pipe from the bottom of the condenser to the air pump. This sealing chamber contains air in its upper portion and water in its lower portion, that is, there is a well of water at the bottom of the chamber. The discharge from the vacuumaugmenter is delivered into the water in this well and below the surface of the water. The condensate from the condenser is delivered into the top of the sealing chamber so as to fall freely and loosely through the chamber into the well at the bottom.

The accompanying drawing illustrates the carrying of the invention into effect.

c is the condenser, a the air pump, i; the vacuum-augmenter, and s the sealing chainber. The condensate i'lows from the condenser through the pipe (Z and the passage c into the distribution chamber f situated above the sealing chamber. The top of the sealing chamber separating it ironi the distribution chamber consists of a perforated plate g. fw is the well at the bottom of the sealing chamber.

The vacuum-augmenter withdraws the air with vapour from the condenser by way of the pipe i', and discharges it through the pipe u into the perforated pipe a' which is submerged in the water in the well fw. The air rises through this water into the air space mi in the The condensate Jfalls through the holes in the perforated plate g and enters the sealing chamber in the form of spray, falling through the air space m on to the surface of the water in the well.

The steam from the vacuum-augmenter is largely condensed in passing through the water in the well and by the spray, and the air is cooled and much reduced in volume. Both water and air pass from the sealing chamber to the air pump by way of the pipe r.

The invention has been described with reference to an air pump of the Edwards type. The invention might however be employed with other reciprocating air pumps.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Pat-ent is l. A condensing plant for steamships propelling machinery comprising, in combination, a condenser, a reciprocating air pump, an

ejector vacuum-augmenter for withdrawing the air from the said condenser, a discharge pipe from the bottom of the said condenser tok the said air pump, said pipeiincluding a sealing chamber, this sealing, chamber being adapted to contain air in its upper portion and water in its lower portion, means whereby the said vacuum-augmenter discharges into the said water and below the surface thereof,

and means whereby the condensate from the the said vacuum-auginenter discharges into the said lwater and below the surface thereof, l

and means whereby the condensate from the -said condenser Vis delivered in the form of sealing chamber.

3, Aj condensing plant for steamships propeilingk machinery comprising, in lcombination, a condenser, a reciprocating air pump, an egector vacuum-augmenter for withdrawspray finto the upper portion of the said ing the air from the said condenser,

discharge pipe from'the bottom of the said condenser to the said air pump, said pipe including a sealing chamber, this sealing chamber being adapted Vtocontainair in its upper portion and water in its lower por.

tion, means whereby the said vacuunnaugmenter discharges intothe said water and 4below the surface thereof.a distribution chamber situated on top oflthe said sealing chamber, a perforated partition forming the bottom of the said distribution chamber and thetop ofthe said sealing chambenand chamber.

condenser is caused to fall freely and loosely through the upper portionof the said sealing chamber into the bottom portion.

5. A condensing plant for steamships propelling machinery comprising, in combination, a condenser, a reciprocating airpump,

an ejector vacuum-augmenter for withdrawing the air from thel said condenser, a discharge pipe from the bottom of the said condenser tothe said air-pump, said pipe including a sealing chamber, this sealing chamber being adapted'to contain air in its upper portion and water in its lower portion, a perforated pipe immersed in the said water, means whereby the said vacuumaugmenter discharges into the said pipe, and means whereby the condensate from the said condenser is delivered in the formof spray into the upper portion ofthe said sealing 6. A condensing plant for steamships propelling machinery comprising, in combination, a condenser, a reciprocating air pump an eiector vacuum-au 'menter for L a J i withdrawing the air from the said condenser,

a discharge pipe from the bottomof the said condenser tothe saidair pump, saidvpipe including a' sealing chamber, this sealing chamber-being adapted to contain air in its upper portion and water in its lower portion,

nerforated i 3e immersed in the said water i means whereby the said vacuum-augmenter` discharges into vthe said pipe, a distribution chamber situated on top of the said sealing chamber, aperforated partition forming the bottom of the said distribution chamber and the top of the said sealing chambeijand means whereby the condensate from the said v'condenser is delivered into the said` distribution chamber. n Y y I hereby sign my name to this specification. v s

JAMES SIM..

means whereby the condensate from the said condenser is delivered into the said distribution chamber.

4. A condensing plant for steamships propelling machinery comprising, in combination, a condenser, a reciprocating air pump,v an ejector vacuum-augmenter for :withdrawing the air from the said condenser, a discharge pipe from the bottom of the said condenser' to the said air pump, saidpipe including ra sealing chamber, this sealing chamber being adapted to contain air in its upper. portion and water in its lower por f tion, avperforated pipe immersed in the said water, means whereby the said vacuumaugmenter discharges into the said pipe, and

' means vifhereby the condensate from the vsaid ECO 

